French Onion Soup

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown

Show: Good EatsEpisode: A Bowl of Onion

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (151)

Cook Time:
1 hr 45 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
8 servings

Times:

Prep: 15 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 1 hr 45 min
Total:: 2 hr 0 min

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Ingredients

5 sweet onions (like Vidalias) or a combination of sweet and red onions (about 4 pounds)
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups white wine
10 ounces canned beef consume
10 ounces chicken broth
10 ounces apple cider (unfiltered is best)
Bouquet garni; thyme sprigs, bay leaf and parsley tied together with kitchen string
1 loaf country style bread
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
Splash of Cognac (optional)
1 cup Fontina or Gruyere cheese, grated

Directions

Trim the ends off each onion then halve lengthwise. Remove peel and finely slice into half moon shapes. Set electric skillet to 300 degrees and add butter. Once butter has melted add a layer of onions and sprinkle with a little salt. Repeat layering onions and salt until all onions are in the skillet. Do not try stirring until onions have sweated down for 15 to 20 minutes. After that, stir occasionally until onions are dark mahogany and reduced to approximately 2 cups. This should take 45 minutes to 1 hour. Do not worry about burning.

Add enough wine to cover the onions and turn heat to high, reducing the wine to a syrup consistency. Add consume, chicken broth, apple cider and bouquet garni. Reduce heat and simmer 15 to 20 minutes.

Place oven rack in top 1/3 of oven and heat broiler.

Cut country bread in rounds large enough to fit mouth of oven safe soup crocks. Place the slices on a baking sheet and place under broiler for 1 minute.

Season soup mixture with salt, pepper and cognac. Remove bouquet garni and ladle soup into crocks leaving one inch to the lip. Place bread round, toasted side down, on top of soup and top with grated cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly and golden, 1 to 2 minutes.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe French Onion Soup
Stephen Mississauga, ON 11-04-2009
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Excellent preparation, but a bit too sweet
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

I made this recipe last night. I have made other french onion soups in the past, where I had to bake the onion slices before... frying them. This one seemed to work the best, and could be completed with the least amount of dirty dishes. The base for the French onion soup was great. I wasn't a fan of the fresh pressed apple cider (I don't know how people could have confused fresh pressed apple cider, with apple cider vinegar). The Apple cider made the soup a little too sweet. If recommend using more home-made consomme or chicken stock to give it a deeper flavour. Read more
recipe French Onion Soup
Kam Alexandria, VA 11-02-2009
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Not apple cider vinegar!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Katie, the recipe calls for apple cider as apple juce, not apple cider vinegar!!!
recipe French Onion Soup
KATIE Austin, TX 11-02-2009
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Entirely too much vinegar
Rated: 2 stars out of 5

Everything was turning out beautifully until I added the 10 oz of vinegar. All you can taste is the vinegar. It took lots... of water and extra beef broth to make it edible. Nix the vinegar and this could be a good recipe. Read more
recipe French Onion Soup
Josh Richmond, VA 08-24-2009
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Def. too sweet
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

So my sister made French onion soup -- it was great! So i decided, i needed to try my hand in order to out do her....of... course! So i figured i'd be safe with Alton... well it was good-- but it was too sweet... good cook bad cook- look at the ingredients- you have sweet vidalia onions caramalyzed= sugar, cooked down wine= sugar, apple cider= sugar and I did 14 ounces of both chicken and beef broth and left the cider at 10 oz.. and even switched out a vidalia for 2 white onions... next time--- NO CIDER... I had to admit hers (my sister's) was better.. to which she replied "I thought so too but wasn't going to say anything-- that's like the ultimate crrrrrrrt. And in defense of the guy who said it took 4 hours to do the onions, it didn't take hours but it took a bit lonige than 45 minutes to make sure they didn't burn and for them to turn that mahogany color.... good luck and if you still want to put all the sweet stuff in it--- try it BEFORE anyone else does!! Happy cooking!Read more
recipe French Onion Soup
Saye Madison, GA 06-25-2009
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Good but...
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

I agree with some of the other posters that you could probably reduce the cider vinegar to a tablespoon or two and supplement... with beef stock. Otherwise, good and easy.Read more
recipe French Onion Soup
Janice Las Cruces, NM 04-29-2009
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Amazing!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Like most things Alton makes, I absolutely love this french onion soup. I don't think it's too sweet at all.